By Carol Britton Meyer

Following a lengthy discussion and numerous earlier hearings, the planning board Wednesday night unanimously approved modifications to the mixed-use Paragon Dunes development.

Conservation commission, sewer department, and building commissioner approval is required before the project can move forward.

Approval of the initial Paragon Dunes plans granted by the planning board earlier this year was subject to conditions, including gaining approval from all the appropriate state agencies.

Consequently, the developer – The Procopio Companies – found it necessary to present revised plans to the planning board at the end of this summer in response to comments received during the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) review process. Most of the modifications address stormwater management and landscaping issues.

In a recent development, a MEPA certificate was issued for the development after the state Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs determined that the Environmental Notification Form submitted for the proposal “adequately described the project and assessed its impacts,” Adam Brodsky, attorney for the developer, told the planning board, nor is an Environmental Impact Report required.

The development at the now-closed Paragon Boardwalk site will include 132 residential units, commercial uses, an elevated courtyard with an inground pool, public open spaces, and surface parking for a total of 180 cars.

A raised boardwalk that is part of the revised plan will allow flood water to pass under the building, but will not increase the overall height of the structure, as the interior ceiling heights of the first-floor commercial spaces will be reduced. One of the commercial spaces won’t be elevated because of its location; it would be disconnected from the public area if elevated.

Before the vote, planning board Chair Jeanne Paquin noted that the board’s charge was “narrow and specific,” and that the vote related only to the modifications submitted by the developer.

She also noted that a mixed-use development at this location would “liven the area and make it more active. … I think we’ve reached a good compromise for the town and the developer. I’m comfortable with it.”

The board ultimately voted to close the hearing and unanimously approved the developer’s modifications.

For full details, check next week’s edition of The Hull Times.